


New Rules

by riddlesinthedark11



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, F/M, Friends With Benefits, Mutual Pining, Songfic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-12
Updated: 2018-05-21
Packaged: 2019-05-05 23:06:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14628912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/riddlesinthedark11/pseuds/riddlesinthedark11
Summary: It's hard to make a FWB relationship work without someone catching feelings. Hermione and Draco both think the other is only in it for the sex-and they're both wrong.Short multi-chapter fic based on the song "New Rules" by Dua Lipa and told from both perspectives.





	1. Don't Pick Up the Phone

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! :) This has probably been done already, but here's my dramione take on it! Will our angsty babies have the guts to own up to their feelings? Who can say ;) I own nothing related to HP or this song. Enjoy!

Hermione shoved the final sheaf of files into her desk drawer and slammed it shut. _This is ridiculous. They must be mental_. She gathered up her things in record time and strode toward the elevators, muttering under her breath.

“Bloody filing…got to be kidding me…” She was seething. Although she was by no means the most senior member of her team, there was no way in hell she should have been tasked with making digital copies of all their current case files. It was fine in the first year, but now she was responsible for 30% of the animal welfare cases in the department! She was up to her ears in work, so she stayed late, which somehow prompted her supervisor to saddle her with the filing because “you’re there in the evening when everyone has gone home and nobody’s using the files”. 

_Horse shit._ She was gunning for an interdepartmental promotion and her only relevant reference was her boss. _He’s taking advantage of me and he knows it._

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out and saw “Draco Malfoy” on the screen. _Speaking of taking advantage…_ She huffed and answered the call.

“What do you want?”

“’Mione, it’s Draco. How was your day?”

“How was my—oh, like you bloody care.” He sounded sincere, but she knew him too well for that. He never dispensed with the pleasantries altogether— _how could he, with that upbringing?_ —but he skipped past any nasty emotional business as soon as possible.

“Hermione, is something wrong? You can tell me, love.” _Love. Why does he have to call me that?_ His pet name for her was a constant reminder of the feelings she had that he didn’t return. It was always a persuasion, never an endearment. And this beating around the bush was only fueling her foul mood.

“Come off it with the boyfriend crap, Malfoy. We both know what you want, so stop pretending this isn’t a booty call and get on with it. I’m a big girl. I can handle it.” 

“I’m serious, love. Something’s clearly bothering you. Come over and talk about it.” There was that word again. _Enough!_ After the day she had had, going to his place and pretending to be aloof with the smell and the sound and the taste of him swallowing her up was just not going to happen. She snapped.

“Draco Malfoy wants to talk. Now I’ve heard everything. Sorry we’ve missed out on so many quality chats but it’s a little tough when you’re shoving your cock down my throat!”

“Hermione…don’t.” He almost sounded sad. And she almost believed it.

“Sod off Malfoy.”

φφφ

Draco dropped onto the sofa with a sigh, propping his feet up on the coffee table. It had been a long week and he felt he well deserved the glass of whiskey he was currently swirling. Taking a sip, he fished his phone out of his pants pocket and let his fingers guide him to the woman who always found her way into his thoughts on a Friday.

There was something about the end of the work week and the brief bliss of the weekend that made him think of her. Maybe it was the idea of coming home to someone. Of another person curled up in the armchair with a glass of wine and a good book. Of pancakes and coffee on a lazy Sunday morning.

Or maybe it was that Fridays were the only time she thought of him. She was always busy during the work week, and the weekend was reserved for her loved ones. But Friday she could spare for him, and if that was all she would give, he would gladly accept.

He knew how it would end—how it always ended—but he was exhausted, and he needed to hear her voice. Tapping his phone screen to life, he found her contact and dialed. She picked up on the second ring.

“What do you want?” She sounded agitated, so he kept his tone light.

“’Mione, it’s Draco. How was your day?”

“How was my—oh, like you bloody care,” she snapped.

“Hermione, is something wrong? You can tell me, love.” _Idiot,_ he thought. _You know you’re not the person she wants to talk to about this. About anything._ There never was much talking, even when they were face to face. 

“Come off it with the boyfriend crap, Malfoy. We both know what you want, so stop pretending this isn’t a booty call and get on with it. I’m a big girl. I can handle it.” Ironic how she thought he was the one that was only in it for the sex. Normally he would spare her the emotional business and head over to put himself to better use, but the whiskey was egging him on. Would it really be so bad if she knew what he wanted?

“I’m serious, love. Something’s clearly bothering you. Come over and talk about it.”

“Draco Malfoy wants to talk.” She barked out a laugh. “Now I’ve heard everything. Sorry we’ve missed out on so many quality chats but it’s a little tough when you’re shoving your cock down my throat!”

“Hermione…don’t.” 

“Sod off Malfoy.” She hung up.

Draco dropped his phone onto the couch beside him and tossed back the rest of his drink, relishing the burn as it slid down his throat. _Of course she can never know, you bloody imbecile! Stop pushing her for something she can’t give._

He licked a drop of whiskey off his lips and poured himself another glass.

φφφ

It was late now, but she knew he would be up. She was feeling better after a long bath and some Ben and Jerry’s, and she was ready for him to stomp all over her heart again. 

She should never have picked up his call. It was the same thing every time, but her stupid, lovesick self couldn’t resist, and now she couldn’t get him out of her head. _Just get on with it._ It would be another in a long line of “last times”, but she would take what he was willing to give her.

She picked up her phone and dialed. He didn’t answer. 

_Don’t you dare leave a message._ This was the easy way out. All she had to do was hang up and then she could push her conscience away for another week. _Put the phone down._

His voice mail was almost finished. _Hang up before the beep, idiot!_ She started to pull the phone away from her ear but paused against her better judgement. _He was going to see the missed call from me anyway…_

“Draco? Hey, it’s me…”

φφφ

_You have one new message. First new message:_

_Draco? Hey, it’s me. Listen, I was having a horrible go of it when you called, and I know I was—well, a bit harsh. I still have plenty of tension to work off from this week, so come by mine anytime. Ok, bye._

_If that’s not a booty call, I don’t know what is._ He must have missed it when he was in the shower. _Well, booty voicemail, then._ He glanced at the time on his phone screen. _Not too late…she would be up._

He made it to the door and stopped. Leaning his forehead against the frame, he sighed. Normally, he would be in his car before you could say “thisisahorribledecisionandyouaresettingyourselfupforanendlesscycleofshattereddreamsandmisery”, but after their conversation, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Maybe it was time to finally let this end, for both their sakes.

He turned the lock and slid to the floor.


	2. Don't Let Them In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione surprises Draco with a visit-and a confession. Things seem to be going really well, but this is angst town, where everyone is confused and hurting all the time! Who knows what will happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys :) I want to say thank you so much to everyone who read the last chapter and left comments and kudos!! I'm all warm and fuzzy. Wes and Max (my rats) got really sick this week and so it was all I could do to finish the chapter on time, but I'm going to do my best to respond to any comments individually next week because you guys make my day :) Now, without further ado, welcome back to angst town where our angsty babies have a drunken night of angst!
> 
> P.S. I own nothing.

Hermione wrung the neck of the wine bottle anxiously between her fingers. It had been a week since her disaster of a phone call with Draco. He hadn’t shown up after her message and she couldn’t help but think it was because he was angry with her. Why, she had no idea, but it had been killing her.

Usually they would text or Snapchat on and off during the work week. Sometimes he would even send her a picture he thought she would like. But this week it had been radio silence. _Stupid girl. You should never have left him that message_ (this from the rational part of her brain). _Well now I’m at his door to profess my undying love for him, so you tell me what’s worse!_ countered the part that was currently pining for all things Draco Malfoy. _This! This is worse—and what’s more, I never agreed to it!_

“Shut up, guys,” she muttered to herself. She had, in fact, come to tell Draco about her feelings, although perhaps not quite so dramatically. After the (frankly embarrassing) longing she had felt for him this week, she knew that she had to stop doing this to herself. Her heart might very well burst if she didn’t. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she knocked firmly on the door. It swung open after a few seconds.

“Hermione? What are you doing here?” _Sweet baby Jesus, Draco in lounge pants is my new favourite thing._ On that point, both parts of her brain could agree. She gulped. If his t-shirt was any tighter she would swear he was Steve Rogers.

“Hi Draco. Can I come in?” When he said nothing, she grasped for an explanation. “I just feel bad about last week and the message and then all the not talking, and—” _I’ve come to tell you that you’re everything I’ve ever wanted and then hopefully we’ll shag all night like in the movies._ “—well, I though it would be nice for us to spend some time together.” She finished abruptly and offered up the bottle of red she had brought. For a confession of these proportions, she was not above a little liquid courage.

“Oh…Oh, uh, yeah…ok,” he said, taking the wine from her and opening the door wide enough for her to step through. “I just made some popcorn. I was going to watch a movie tonight, but this is good too. I mean—I…this is great.” His voice was strained, and she had to suppress the urge to run right back out. Then he gave an awkward little smile and she shut the door behind her.

φφφ

“I’m serious! Soon I’ll be a washed-up hag all alone with my 20 cats!” It had been several hours now, and their night was in full swing. The bottle of wine lay empty on the floor and the popcorn was long since forgotten. It had been stiff at first, but fate had presented her with an opportunity for one of their inside jokes, and then it had been nothing but increasingly raucous laughter as they drained the wine and moved on to Draco’s whiskey.

“I’m sure Crookshanks will looove that,” Draco teased. His eyes glinted, and he poked her in the side playfully. Somewhere in the back of her mind she wondered when she had ended up on his lap, but she was too giddy to care. She loved that he knew things like Crookshanks’ absolute hatred of other animals. _Although pretty soon that may not be an issue…_ She sobered, and her face fell. Draco looked inquisitively up at her.

“Well…he’s actually been going downhill lately. The vet says its his kidneys, and I—” she broke off with a sob. 

“Oh, Hermione. Come here, love. It’s going to be ok.” His arms came around her and she buried her face in his t-shirt, breathing him in. For the first time, the word “love” filled her with as much warmth as his body always did. His body, which was pressed against hers, and his hands, which were tangled in her hair. _Oh lord…_

She raised her eyes to his, and they were mere inches away. His breath was falling lightly on her lips and she could have sworn that his gaze flickered down to them. That same heat that they found in bed together was coursing between them, but she was here for a reason, and it came back to her now. Taking a deep breath, she moved his hands from her hair and brought them down to her lap, where she laced her fingers through his.

“Draco…I mean it, though. I always told myself I was waiting because I needed to heal from the War, but I can’t wait forever.” She laughed softly. “I mean, Merlin’s balls—Ginny and Harry are getting married next year! I’m 28 now, and I haven’t been with anyone properly since Ron.” 

He was looking at her intently now, and she struggled for words to encompass the feeling that was building in her chest. “They say it’s this incredible thing, you know? That one day someone just walks into your life and suddenly you realize that everything has been black and white before now…and all that rot.” Not the most romantic words, but she was grinning like a fool and she couldn’t stop. “And I’m ready for that. I didn’t see that before but now I want it—all of it. Falling asleep next to someone and knowing that they’ll still be there in the morning, having another person who knows exactly how I like my tea, making pancakes on a Sunday morning…”

He gave a little gasp at that, and it reverberated through her. “Hermione…” She released one of his hands to press hers gently to his lips, stopping his words. His eyes searched hers fervently. She could feel her heart thundering in her chest. _This is it._

“I guess what I’m saying is…I want something more than just stress release.” All the tension melted off her and she felt her heart swell in her chest. But he had gone rigid, and his hands were scrambling to push her away. She was thrust unceremoniously out of his lap onto the couch. 

“Draco?” She was bewildered. After everything that had happened between them that night, she was not expecting him to react so strongly to her admission.

“I think you should go.”

“But I—” He backed away, shaking his head.

“Go. Please. I need you to go.” Tears welled up in her eyes. She snatched up her things and strode to the door. As she opened it, she turned and whispered to his retreating form: “As you wish.”

φφφ

Draco wasn’t sure who he had been expecting at 8:00 pm on a Friday, but it certainly hadn’t been her.

“Hermione? What are you doing here?” He had made it through an entire week without texting her once, but there she was at his door in a baggy hoodie and leggings looking so gorgeous he could cry.

“Hi Draco. Can I come in? I just feel bad about last week and the message and then all the not talking, and—well, I though it would be nice for us to spend some time together.” She was babbling, and he loved it. When she lifted the wine bottle in her hands and smiled hesitantly, he realized he still hadn’t said anything.

“Oh…Oh, uh, yeah…ok.” _Real smooth, idiot._ He cleared his throat. “I just made some popcorn. I was going to watch a movie tonight, but this is good too.” _Are you kidding? She comes all the way here just to spend time with you and this isn’t the best thing that’s happened to you all year?_ “I mean—I…this is great,” he finished lamely. He was lucky she had brought the wine. There was a sense of purpose coming from her and he was no match for Hermione Granger on a mission.

φφφ

“I’m serious! Soon I’ll be a washed-up hag all alone with my 20 cats!” Her hair was wild, and her eyes were alive with mirth, and he couldn’t remember ever feeling such warmth. Some time between their fourth glass of wine and their first glass of whiskey, she had curled up in his lap like it was the most natural thing in the world and now he was lost in her…maybe the alcohol, too.

“I’m sure Crookshanks will looove that,” he giggled, nudging her side as an excuse to touch just one more inch of her. That cat hated every living thing except Hermione. Draco couldn’t blame him. She had been laughing too, but the light slipped from her eyes.

“Well…he’s actually been going downhill lately. The vet says its his kidneys, and I—” she cut herself off with a broken noise and before he knew what he was doing he wrapped her up in his arms.

“Oh, Hermione. Come here, love. It’s going to be ok.” She smelled like shampoo and booze and home. If she let him, he would never let her go. The past two hours were all he dared to dream would happen with her. They had talked about everything and nothing and she had smiled that smile that he could convince himself was only for him.

He felt her pull away gently, unlatching his hands from where he had unconsciously buried them in her hair. He prepared himself for her to push him away, but instead she intertwined their fingers in her lap and he thought he might die of happiness. She gazed at him, and he couldn’t stop himself from glancing down at her lips. He felt their familiar heat steal its way between them. If he moved forward just a few inches…

“Draco…I mean it, though.” There was something in her voice that made him pull back to listen. “I always told myself I was waiting because I needed to heal from the War, but I can’t wait forever. I mean, Merlin’s balls—Ginny and Harry are getting married next year! I’m 28 now, and I haven’t been with anyone properly since Ron.”

He held his breath. This was too good to be true. He knew she valued whatever it was that they had—she wasn’t shagging any other bloke as far as he knew—but all his previous attempts to move things further had ended badly. This felt so different. 

“They say it’s this incredible thing, you know? That one day someone just walks into your life and suddenly you realize that everything has been black and white before now…and all that rot. And I’m ready for that.” She sounded almost breathless, and her eyes were dancing as the words poured out of her.

“I didn’t see that before but now I want it—all of it. Falling asleep next to someone and knowing that they’ll still be there in the morning, having another person who knows exactly how I like my tea, making pancakes on a Sunday morning…” He inhaled sharply. _Pancakes and coffee on a lazy Sunday morning…_

“Hermione…” he said, his voice coming out low and rough. She pressed a hand to his mouth. It was good that she did, or he might have just told her that he loved her without thinking. Whatever she said next, she held him in her hands to ignite or destroy.

“I guess what I’m saying is…I want something more than just stress release.”

And his heart shattered into a billion tiny pieces.

Of course. He was such an idiot. Of course this meant she was moving on from them—from him—for something real. Someone who mattered. He was black and white, and she wanted blinding colour. What a fool he had been to think she saw that with him. A storm of tears threatened from behind his eyes and he squeezed them shut.

“Draco?”

Her voice broke the spell and he gasped a breath, needing to get as far away from her as possible. His hands clawed frantically at whatever they touched. 

“I think you should go.”

“But I—” She sounded confused and hurt but he cut her off. Her voice was too painful to hear right now. He couldn’t even look at her. 

“Go. Please. I need you to go,” he whispered, his words coming out broken and desperate.

Had he not stumbled toward his bedroom, he might have heard her soft “as you wish” as she closed the door behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woohoo! Misinterpretations abound! Tune in next week for "Don't Be Their Friend", where our lovely kids have a fun friend date after months of avoidance and pain :D Also, I hope some of you caught my little Princess Bride reference :P Thanks for reading!
> 
> P.S. Sorry, I never figured out how to remove the end notes from the last chapter whoops.

**Author's Note:**

> Tune in next time for "Don't Let Them In"! There will be four chapters based off of the song lyrics. Each event will be told from both Hermione's and Draco's perspectives. Thanks for reading :)


End file.
